Major construction work is well underway at Central Station to deliver Sydney Metro, including the new Central Walk, as progress continues on major infrastructure projects across NSW.
As part of the biggest upgrade to Sydney’s busiest railway station in decades, two new underground metro platforms are being built as well as the landmark Central Walk underground concourse, which will make it easier for customers to connect between light rail, suburban and inter-city trains, the new Sydney Metro and buses.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said it’s a great example of the construction industry keeping moving and keeping people in work despite difficult times.
“We are very fortunate that major Transport infrastructure projects like this continue to be delivered,” Mr Constance said.
“The health and safety of all workers and the community are our key priorities as we continue to deliver major projects, and we have put in place strict protocols to protect the safety of our construction workforce.
“More than 5,000 people are currently working across the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project, and by the time the project opens, around 50,000 people will have worked on it.
“The upcoming Sydney Metro West project will support 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs while construction of the Metro North West Line created more than 20,000 jobs.”
At Central, work to build the 27-metre deep metro station “box” is now 10 metres beneath the surface. About 6,000 tonnes of crushed rock is being excavated from the box every week.
“In an impressive feat of engineering, an 80 metre tunnel has also been built under Central Station to deliver Central Walk,” Mr Constance said.
“This six metre wide construction tunnel runs parallel to Central Walk and allows excavated crushed rock to be removed without impacting trains and customers.”
The construction tunnel has broken into Central’s ghost platforms, which were built last century as part of the Eastern Suburbs Railway line for Bondi and the Illawarra but never completed.
Platforms 26 and 27 have sat unused since, but they will now house 17 new communications and power rooms to support the new Sydney Metro at Central.
More than 270,000 customers use the 114-year-old station on a normal day, with that number expected to increase to 450,000 in the next two decades.
Central Walk is expected to be open to customers in 2022 while Sydney Metro construction continues – with metro rail services extending from Chatswood through the city and beyond to Bankstown in 2024.
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